A Shopify store experienced a sudden conversion rate drop below 1%, despite increases in sessions, cart additions, and checkout initiations. Desktop conversions were particularly affected.
Initial troubleshooting suggestions included:
Root cause identified:
The issue was caused by ShopPay’s customer checkout option. When customers had ShopPay accounts, the checkout page layout changed to make ShopPay appear as the only available payment method, blocking other checkout options.
Resolution:
Removing ShopPay as a checkout option immediately restored conversion rates to previous levels. The store owner wants to re-enable ShopPay but cannot until the problematic checkout page behavior is resolved. The cause and timing of this ShopPay layout change remain unknown.
Our conversion rate has dropped below 1% over last few weeks.
I have not changed anything that would cause this. (that I know of)
Our sessions are up, Added to cart is up, Reached Checkout is up, Completed checkout is DOWN. Also, desktop is down more than mobile?
I have tested the checkout and can not find any delay or problems.
Any help?
Hello,
I think you should first analyze the quality of your traffic. Since your sessions and cart additions are up but conversions are down, it might be worth looking at where your traffic is coming from, whether it’s paid ads, organic search, or social media.
A new ad campaign or a shift in targeting could be bringing in less-qualified visitors who browse but don’t complete purchases.
Next, review your checkout flow. Even though you’ve tested the checkout yourself and didn’t notice any issues, it’s worth double-checking a few things. Consider browser and device compatibility, especially since the desktop seems to be down more than the mobile. Test your site and checkout on multiple desktop browsers and devices. Also, verify that your payment gateways are functioning properly, as temporary disruptions can sometimes occur. Don’t forget to look into shipping or tax calculations. Unexpected increases here can cause customers to drop off.
Also, compare conversion paths for desktop users specifically to see how they differ from mobile.
If none of these approaches uncover clear issues, you could test a limited-time promotion, such as offering a discount code or free shipping, to see if it helps nudge conversions back up.
The drop in conversion ended up being cause by ShopPay. Not the credit card processing but the customer checkout option. When a customer has a ShopPay account the checkout page would change and the layout made it appear that ShopPay was the only means of checking out. I do not know how, why or when this changed.
To solve the problem we removed ShopPay as a checkout option and instantly saw our conversion rate go back up to where it was. We would like to have ShopPay as an option but cannot use it if this change of checkout page can not be removed.